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Heathrow Airport with British Airways Airbus A380

Robust and high-capacity drainage solution for Heathrow Airport

Heathrow Airport accounts for over 67 million passengers per year and is one of the largest airports within Europe. The British Airports Authority (BAA) in conjunction with British Airways, invested in a southern airside expansion. This was a result of an increased presence of wider-bodied aircraft, e.g. the Airbus A380. At a weight of approximately 589 tonnes, it is one of the largest commercial aircrafts.

In addition, airport tow trucks driving in high frequencies can weigh up to 80 tonnes. Therefore, a robust drainage system was required to withstand extreme loads and lateral forces.

ProductLoad class
580 m of RECYFIX HICAPF 900

Location

Hillingdon, London

Hydraulic performance in heavy loading conditions

As the development was for airport airside, it required a drainage system which has heavy load bearing capability. Furthermore, the channel needed to retain surface water from a large area. HAURATON previously worked with BAA for Gatwick Airport. Therefore, they knew HAURATON’s drainage solution would be ideal for Heathrow Airport’s expansion.

Heathrow Airport airside with RECYFIX HICAP
Close up of Heathrow Airport airside with RECYFIX HICAP

Other requirements for Heathrow Airport drainage

Easy installation:

due to adjacent working taxiways

Bolted grating system:

feared un-bolted gratings could dislodge aircraft engines

Easy to maintain
Monolithic construction and durability
Eco-friendly:

airport planning and operation are subject to strict ecological requirements

Thanks to years of experience and broad expertise, our HAURATON team know exactly what is important when draining airports. They know the criteria that are decisive for smooth repairs during ongoing operations.

Heathrow Airport with RECYFIX HICAP for airside drainage
Image of Andy Beirne - Senior Manager at HAURATON
“Ensuring we delivered a robust, workable solution was essential for the project. Alongside that, meeting client requirements in terms of drainage from a large surface area in extreme load bearing conditions was critical.”
Andy Beirne HAURATON Senior Project Manager
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Solution HAURATON provided for Heathrow Airport

With many criteria from BAA, a reliable drainage system had to meet their specifications.

RECYFIX HICAP

Product image of RECYFIX HICAP

RECYFIX HICAP is an extra heavy-duty monolithic slotted drain system. It is the ideal drainage solution for large surface areas such as airside aprons. The RECYFIX HICAP channel ensures a fast and easy installation due to its lightweight recycled composite body. Furthermore, it removes the need for lifting equipment as each one-metre unit weighs under 25 kg.

  • Complies with one-man-lift legislation

  • Environmentally friendly: recycled composite made from recycled polypropylene (PP)

  • F 900 loading class with a ductile iron slotted top

  • Withstands high dynamic forces

  • 100% corrosion-free

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